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Constant Blocked Nose? Here’s What Could Be Causing It

All of us know how annoying it is to have a blocked nose. Typically, we experience them when we’re sick and have a cold or the flu. They cause our whole heads to feel blocked up and it’s hard to breathe, which makes sleeping a real task. But, for a lot of people, blocked noses don’t stop at colds. There are loads of people that go to sleep with a stuffy nose every night and wake up with the same problem each morning. The question is, why? What’s causing your blocked nose if it’s not a cold or flu virus? Let’s take a look:

Airborne Allergens:

Perhaps the biggest cause of a chronically blocked noses is having an allergic reaction to something in the air. There are loads of different airborne allergens around that can cause this and most are extremely common. As it says in this blog post, there are lots of things lurking in your home that could be making you ill. Airborne allergens are just one example. If you have a pet, then they could give off allergens that you breathe in and have a reaction to, causing your nose to block. Another extremely common allergen is dust. Where there’s dust, there are dust mites, which create airborne allergens that seriously block up your nose. In fact, if you don’t have any pets and you keep waking up throughout the year with a blocked nose, it’s probably due to a dust allergy.

Nasal Polyps:

Did you know that there’s a thing that can grow inside of your nose and cause congestion? It’s true, and they’re called nasal polyps. There’s no need to be too alarmed, these growths are benign, and you probably won’t even notice that they’re there. Essentially, they’re just lumps of tissue that swell up and grow inside of your nose, causing a constant blockage. You might be able to notice them if you shine a light up your nose and look in the mirror (if you’re ever feeling extremely bored). They’re typically caused by other problems in the nose. If you’ve had a really severe cold, sinus infection, or even allergic rhinitis, then this could cause a polyp to grow that keeps your nose blocked even when the previous problems are solved.

Deviated Septum:

You know that little hard thing that separates each nostril in your nose? It’s called your septum, and it can be the cause of your blocked nose. Most of us are lucky enough to be born with a normal and straight septum. Others are born with a deviated one that causes your nostrils to be different sizes. As a result, one nostril can be so small that it’s always blocked. Deviated septums can also occur after physical injuries to the nose. #ouch

If you have a blocked nose all year round, then it’s most likely down to one of these three problems. Try and remove any airborne allergens from your room or take antihistamines to see if that helps your blocked nose. If it does, the problem was probably allergy related. If not, it’s probably one of the other two things and you might want to get it checked out so that you can breathe easy!

Thanks for sharing details about blocked nose, allergies and cold. I have had a nasal septum surgery as well. But it didn’t solve my allergies problem.

I don’t necessarily have a permanent blocked nose problem. It’s more about hypersensitivity in my nose that causes sneezing spells from any of the various allergy triggers/causes. And then due to incessant sneezing, it irritates my internal nasal skin till its sore (rhinitis).

Over the years, with self-observation, I have figured out those root causes and try to “manage” them as best as I can and my condition has improved. But how I wish that there was a permanent solution to my allergies rhinitis problem.

If you enjoy reading the medical stuff then please do visit my blog allergiesrhinitis.wordpress.com where I have listed my allergies rhinitis related problems, causes and solutions learned – yes, in all its gory gross details. Please add comments / notes there if, after reading my notes, you think of some solutions or want to share any insights that may help. Looking forward to help and collaboration.